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Earlier this year, Xbox players noticed small messages indicating the arrival of an ad-supported streaming tier to the platform. This streaming option is now available for Xbox Insiders to test, and is optional for those interested in seeing what playing games in the cloud for free might look like.
Ad-supported streaming testing began Thursday for Xbox Insiders, according to an Xbox post Wire. This is a limited test to allow players to stream specific games they own at no additional cost by watching ads before they start playing.
“It creates another way for players to get into games without purchasing a live stream and expands audiences through new ways to play,” the company said in the post.
Xbox Insiders will be able to use this ad-supported option if they choose to play specific games they own. Once you select a game, a number of ads will play first. Players can then play the game as normal for an hour. It’s not clear if this is the standard pattern for ad-supported streaming after testing, or if there are additional changes to the setup.
Streaming is currently available for Xbox Game Pass Subscribers on Xbox devices and across Xbox apps for various devices, including laptops, desktops, smart TVs, tablets, phones and more Portable gaming devices. People with subscriptions won’t have to see ads during testing, but can choose to if they want to get an idea of how the service works.
It’s been almost 15 months since Microsoft and the Xbox platform. when President Donald Trump announced his sweeping tariffs That would affect gaming consoles in April 2025, Microsoft announced the following month that it would be forced to increase the price of its Xbox Series consoles. The company has since raised the price of its consoles for a second time, and a third price hike will occur on August 1 due Persistent memory loss.
Microsoft also raised subscription prices for Xbox Game Pass last October, but reduced the cost last April. Xbox’s leadership has also changed, with its longtime boss Phil Spencer replaced by Asha Sharma. Then, earlier this month, Microsoft laid off thousands of workers It is looking to sell four of its game studios: Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs and Compulsion Games.
These issues that Microsoft is facing have made gamers worried about the future of the Xbox platform. The company said back in March that it still has it It plans to release the next console sometime in 2027.
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